Romania deployed F-16 aircraft to monitor the airspace situation on the border with Ukraine during the Russian drone attack on the Odesa region. Russian drones did not violate Romanian airspace.
In December, intelligence identified over 150 foreigners from 25 countries recruited into the Russian army, with about 200 more preparing to join. The main sources of recruitment are post-Soviet states and countries of the Global South.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the situation surrounding the building of the Russian consulate in Gdansk, stating that there could be consequences. Earlier, Poland withdrew its consent for the Russian consulate to operate in response to a railway sabotage linked to Russian special services.
Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Part of the sky over Poland was closed due to detected contraband balloons from Belarus.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reports that Russia controls Belarus' food market. Pork production in the country has decreased by 12%, and Russia is increasing exports, turning Belarus into a dependent sales market.
President Zelenskyy received a report from the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko, on Russian attempts to circumvent sanctions and the deployment of "Oreshnik" complexes in Belarus. The report also covered the state of Russian military production and cooperation with Chinese companies that provide space intelligence data.
The US is looking for a special approach to Belarusian dictator Lukashenka in order to later test it on Putin and end the war.
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
Poland has installed the first elements of an anti-drone system on the border with Belarus near the town of Krynki. The system will become operational in January, detecting, tracking, and neutralizing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Several citizens of Belarus, Russia, and Lithuania are suspected of transferring EU-funded technologies to Russia's military industry. Five individuals and one company have been notified of suspicion, and more than ten searches have been conducted in various cities of Lithuania.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin's schedule does not include a phone call with Donald Trump until the end of the year. Putin will hold bilateral meetings with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenka.
Military analysts at Defense Express refute panic predictions about a quick strike by "Oreshnik" on Kyiv from the territory of Belarus. The missile has a minimum flight range of 700 km, which makes Kyiv and most of Ukraine unreachable for it from Belarusian training grounds.
A record harvest of sugar beets in Belarus, about 5 million tons, has become a risk factor due to the oversupply in the Russian market. This leads to a drop in sugar prices and a deterioration of the economy for farmers and processors.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that the joint work of Ukraine and Poland on historical issues deprives Russia of the opportunity to use them for disinformation. He emphasized that all formal and administrative issues will be resolved by the Ukrainian side.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine has provided partners with information on the deployment location of Russia's 'Oreshnik' missile system in Belarus. He noted that this system poses a threat to many European countries and called for sanctions against companies supplying components for its production.
President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's independence is a key security factor for all of Europe, including Poland. He emphasized that without Ukraine's independence, Moscow will inevitably move further into Europe, particularly to Poland.
Belarus's economic dependence on Russia is rapidly deepening and already covers key sectors - from foreign trade and finance to investment and the defense industry, significantly narrowing the space for Minsk's independent decisions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his readiness to share with Poland experience in drone defense and cooperate on maritime security issues. The Ukrainian side is ready to provide consultations on repelling all types of drones, as well as to maintain a security dialogue, taking into account threats from Belarus.
The European Union plans to introduce its 20th package of sanctions against Russia in early 2026, continuing pressure to end the war. EU leaders call for coordination with the G7 and stronger measures against sanctions circumvention, as well as condemning third-country support for Russia.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and Sevastopol. 79 countries voted for the document, 16 were against, and 73 abstained.
Aliaksandr Lukashenka stated that the "Oreshnik" missile system has entered combat duty in Belarus. The National Security and Defense Council believes that this is propaganda of fear for Europe.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to the heads of states, parliaments, and governments of democratic countries of the world, as well as the International Paralympic Committee. This appeal concerns the ban on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in international sports competitions.
Draft law No. 14093 provides for the de-Sovietization of the name of Ukraine's small coin. At the same time, the coins "kopiika" and "shah" will be in circulation simultaneously for some time, and the ratio will remain 1:1.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to UEFA and European governments with a demand for a complete ban on the participation of Belarusian national teams and clubs in international tournaments. It is also proposed to restrict the entry of Belarusian athletes until the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty.
FIFA has announced the launch of a new competition for players under 15, open to all 211 member associations. This decision effectively lays the groundwork for the return of Russian teams to world football after their suspension in 2022 due to aggression against Ukraine.
Poland will begin producing anti-personnel mines for the first time since the Cold War. They will be deployed along the eastern border and exported to Ukraine.
Information about 360,000 Russian troops in Belarus is not true. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation and Lithuanian intelligence, only a few thousand Russian servicemen are there.
The European Parliament awarded the Andrei Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian media worker Mzia Amaglobeli. Both laureates are behind bars, so their representatives received the awards.
Lithuanian authorities have arrested 21 individuals allegedly linked to a criminal network that smuggled cigarettes from Belarus using weather balloons. The operation involved over 80 searches and the seizure of contraband goods, luxury cars, and weapons.
In Volyn, border guards discovered a balloon with 1,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes, likely destined for Poland. The value of the contraband is about 90 thousand hryvnias.
